Trolley-pole catcher.



No. 63I,36I. Patented Aug. 22, |899. C; A. DAVIS &. H, M. WILSON.

TBLLEY PULE CATGHEB.

(Application led Nov. 18, 1898,)

(N0 Model.)

lll.

lllllli UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS A. DAVIS AND HENRY M. WILSON, or SOMERSET, MASSA` OHUsETTs.

TROLLEY-POLE CATCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters yPatent No. 631,361, dated August 22, 1899.

. Application filed November 18, 1898. Serial No. 696,787. (No modehl To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CORNELIUS A. DAVIS and HENRY M. lVILsON, citizens of the United Y vented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Pole Catchers; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to electric railways; and its object is to provide an efficient and simple device for preventing the trolley-pole of anA electric car from striking the span-Wires or brackets when the trolley slips off the wire. It also serves to keep the trolley-pole rope in a taut and trim condition by automatically taking up the slack.

In the drawings, Figure l shows the rear end of a trolley-car equipped with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line 3 o, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar section at right angles to Fig. 2, and Fig. shows plan views of the three weights.

Attached to the platform of the car, and preferably to the dashboard, is a casing B, preferably rectangular in cross-section. trolley-pole rope C passes downthrou gh a hole b in the top ofthe casing and is attached to a weight D, which is fitted toslide freely up and down in the casing. The rope is prefer# ably attached to the weight by being rove through a running pulley d fastened thereto and then carried up to the top of the casing, where it is madevfast.

In the upper part of the casing are suitable spring-detents E, projecting inwardly and upwardly from recesses in the side walls of the casing. Normally supported on these detents are one or more Weights F G, preferably two, as shown. They are adapted to slide freely in the casing and have vertical holes in them for the falls of the trolleypole rope to pass through.

In a recess in the4 back of the casing is secured a spring-catch H, connected by a link The . Ywith an eccentric or cam lever or handle I,

bearing against the casing. By means of this lever the catch can be drawn back out of the way of the weights F G. At some suitable point, preferably about midway of the casing,

side walls. The weights D and F are provided with upright grooves dl f in their ends to permit them to pass freely by said pins; but the upper weight Ghas no such grooves and will vbe caught and held by the pins when it descends to that point. The lower weight D has also a groove d2 in its back edge to enable it to pass up by the catch H. Y

The operation is as follows: The weights F G are normally supported on the detents E at the top of the casing, the detents taking under the weights at points on each side of the grooves f. The weight D is heavy enough to keep a constant tension on, the trolley-pole rope, so that the rope is kept taut wit-hout pulling the trolley off the wire. The weight plays up and down in the casing' as the trolley follows the und ulations of the wire. NVhen the trolleys slips off and the pole Hies up, it carries the weight D up against the weights F G, the edge of the weight D pressing back the detents E, and thereby releasing the weights F G. The three together overcome the tension of the trolley-pole spring and pull down the pole below the plane of the spanwires or the brackets. As they descend the upper weight G is caught by the pins K, as shown in Fig. 3, thus preventinga too severe jar when the weights strike the bottom of the casing. The two lower weights are heavy enough to more than counterbalance the strength of the trolley-pole spring; but the upper weight is desirable in order to give a quick pull on the rope and overcome the momentum of the upwardly-dying trolley-pole. When the trolley has been replaced on the wire, the conductor turns the lever I to allow the catch I-I to spring inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. He then lifts the weights by means of the rope until the two upper weights pass the catch H and are retained by it in the position shown in Fig. 2. The rope is then released,

and the lower weight at once takes up the slack. The lever I is then turned down to Aretract the catch from under the weights F two stop-pins K project inwardly from the' IOO G, which permits them to drop slightly upon the detents E. This completes the resetting of the device.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a, trolley-pole catcher, the combination with a lower weight for automatically taking up the slack of the trolley-pole rope, of an upper additional weight or weights for assisting in pulling down the pole, and springdetents for said additional weights adapted to be tripped by the lower weight, substantially as described.

2. In a trolley-pole catcher, the combination with a lower weight to be attached to the trolley-pole rope, of one or more upper additional weights for assisting in pulling down the pole, spring-detents for supporting said additional weights, and a catch for tempoh rarily retaining them when raised, substanbeing,r in the line of the groove in the lower weight, substantially as described.

4. In a trolley-pole catcher, the combination with a casing, of spring-detente, projecting inwardly near its top, stop-pins projecting inwardly a suitable distance below said detents, and a series of weights adapted to slide in said casing, the lower ones being grooved to pass by said stop-pins, substantially as described.

5. In a trolley-pole catcher, the combination with the casing, of spring-detents near its upper end, a catch just below the detents, stop-pins below the catch, a lower weight having an attachment for the trolley-pole rope, and grooved to pass by the stop-pins and the catch, an intermediate weight having grooves to pass the stop-pins, and an upper weight adapted to be caught by said stoppins, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CORNELIUS A. DAVIS. HENRY M'. VILSON.

Vitnesses:

MARY G. WILSON,l ETHEL M. WILSON. 

